The Perversity of Gratitude: An Apartheid Education

Grant Farred's upbringing in South Africa under apartheid provided the optimal conditions for him to think critically and develop a lifelong commitment to learning thinking. His book, "The Perversity of Gratitude," reflects on his education and the impact of four exceptional teachers who cultivated a sense of possibility in how thinking could be learned through a disenfranchised South African education. Farred's critique incorporates the work of influential philosophers such as Martin Heidegger and Jacques Derrida and introduces the concept of "the diaspora-in-place," which describes the experience of leaving a place before physically removing oneself from it.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 226 pages
Publication date: 11 January 2024
Publisher: Temple University Press,U.S.

Farred's experience under apartheid in South Africa paradoxically provided him with the ideal environment for intellectual growth. He describes the regime as an intellectual force that made thinking about apartheid an absolute necessity. Despite his ongoing resistance to apartheid, he acknowledges that it is a part of him.

In his book, The Perversity of Gratitude, Farred delves into his upbringing in the face of apartheid. While he remains committed to fighting against apartheid on a visceral level, he recognizes that it is also a part of his identity. Farred's critique of his education acknowledges the profound impact of four exceptional teachers who cultivated a sense of possibility in learning through a disenfranchised South African education.

The Perversity of Gratitude draws upon the works of influential philosophers such as Martin Heidegger and Jacques Derrida to explore broad philosophical concepts such as transgression, withdrawal, and the dialectic. This exploration leads to the creation of a novel concept, "the diaspora-in-place," which Farred explains as the experience of leaving a place before physically removing oneself from it.

Farred's apartheid education in South Africa instilled in him a lifelong commitment to learning thinking. He expresses gratitude for this experience in The Perversity of Gratitude, stating that it has shaped his intellectual journey. His autopoiesis, or self-creation, is sure to provoke and inspire readers as he continues to explore the complexities of thought and identity.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 210 x 140 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781439924976